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A compound found in apple peels called ursolic acid may protect against obesity, a new study in mice suggests. In the study, mice that ate a high-fat diet over several weeks that included ursolic acid developed more muscle mass, and more calorie-burning brown fat, than mice eating the same diet without the chemical. "Since muscle is very good at burning calories, the increased muscle in ursolic acid-treated mice may be sufficient to explain how ursolic acid reduces obesity," said study researcher Dr. Christopher Adams, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Iowa. However, the increase in brown fat — an unexpected finding — may also help protect against obesity, Adams said, noting that researchers don't know how the compound might exert this effect on brown fat. Previous studies by these researchers showed that ursolic acid increased muscle mass and strength in healthy mice. In the new study, they tested the compound in mice likely to deve...

Fruits and vegetables help protect you from chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes and obesity. Sustainable healthy eating can change or transform both young and old that change,will be permanent. Moreover, eating different fruits in colors can prevent aging and fight diseases. Here are some to try. Red Fruits Watermelon contains high levels of lycopene, a carotenoid that gives watermelon its deep pink color. Several studies have found that people with higher amounts of lycopene in their blood have a lower risk of some types of cancer. The evidence is strongest for cancer of the lung, stomach, and prostate, but also shows promise for cancer of the cervix and breast. Lycopene content is highest in fully ripe melons. Plus, watermelon is extremely hydrating, at 92 percent water, giving your skin a necessary dose of youthful hydration. Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad with Thyme Serves 4 1 cup seedless cucumber, peeled and diced 3 cups wa...

Feeding our children is so much more than just filling their bellies. It’s about providing nourishing food that will help fuel their growing bodies, brains and even emotional selves. They need the proper nutrients to perform well, maintain health, fight disease and become healthy adults. Most school-aged children must follow a diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and low in both sodium and saturated fats. Approximately 18 percent of school-aged children are overweight and an additional 15 percent were categorized as at risk of becoming overweight.Diet that is low in vegetable and fruits leads to the risk of becoming overweight. This type of diet can lead to a variety of health problems like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, liver disease, stroke, asthma, cardiovascular disease and even cancer.Many of the pesticides that cover our foods also contribute to health problems among children.  The Environmental Protection Age...

Depressive disorder is the second leading cause of disability worldwide.   Researchers found that major depressive disorder was the second leading cause of disability worldwide, or cause of global burden. Findings revealed that when adding depressive disorder to two other conditions - suicide and ischemic heart disease - major depressive disorder ranked as the eighth leading cause of global burden. When looking at rankings among all causes of disability between different countries and regions, they varied significantly. The rates of disability were highest in Afghanistan and lowest in Japan, while depression as a cause of disability ranked first in Central America and Central and Southeast Asia. Additionally, disability as a result of depression was found to mainly affect people in their working years, and women were more affected than men. The researchers found no significant link between global disability burden and dysthymia.( mood disorder consisting of the...

Regularly consuming probiotics, or the “good” bacteria found in yogurt, milk and cheese and fufu, may help control blood pressure, according to a new review of past studies. Researchers found that consuming the proper amount of probiotics over at least two months appeared to modestly lower blood pressure. “I do not think the general public understands how probiotics might be beneficial to health at this stage,” said Jing Sun, who worked on the study at the Griffith University School of Medicine and Griffith Health Institute in Queensland, Australia. “The challenge to us is to convince patients and clinicians to accept the product in daily life,” Sun said. Past studies have shown probiotics can have a positive effect on blood sugar, cholesterol and certain hormones - all of which can impact blood flow, she noted. The new findings do not mean people should replace their blood pressure medication with probiotics and it is still unclear which strain or combination of strai...

Psoriasis  Skin is the largest organ in the body. It is also a window to other internal organs and health issues. Changes in the skin, ranging from discoloration to new growth, may sometimes be early signs of more serious underlying health problems, dermatologists say."A few weeks is not uncommon to have something come and go, but if it persists beyond that, I would say see your doctor especially if it gets worse during that time,"Dr Doris Day said. Rashes and patches on the skin In general, a rash that does not respond to treatment, and is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, joint pain and muscle aches could be a sign of an internal problem or infection. A rash may also occur due to an allergy or signal a reaction to a medicine, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). A velvety rash on the back of the neck or around the arms, usually with a color slightly darker than the person's normal skin tone, is a sign that the patient may h...

The first step in the prevention of heart attack is lowering risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), following a heart healthy lifestyle and getting ongoing care. Heart Healthy Lifestyle Healthy diet is an important part of a heart healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It also includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products. A healthy diet is low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium (salt), and added sugars. Weight control reduces risk for CHD, while obesity poses a greater risk for heart attack. Be as physically active as you can. Physical activity can improve your fitness level and your health. Talk with your doctor about what types of activity are safe for you. Quit smoking. Smoking can raise your risk of CHD and heart attack.Avoid secondhand smoke. Ongoing Care Treat Related Conditions Treating conditions that make a heart attack more likely als...

 Acting fast, at the first symptoms of a heart attack, can save life and limit damage to heart muscle. Certain treatments usually are started right away if a heart attack is suspected, even before the diagnosis is confirmed. These include: Oxygen therapy Aspirin to thin blood and prevent further blood clotting Nitroglycerin to reduce heart's workload and improve blood flow through the coronary arteries Treatment for chest pain  Treatments starts so as to promptly restore blood flow to the heart. The two main treatments are "clot-busting" medicines and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), sometimes referred to as coronary angioplasty , a procedure used to open blocked coronary arteries. Clot-Busting Medicines Thrombolytic medicines, also called "clot busters," are used to dissolve blood clots that are blocking the coronary arteries. To work best, these medicines must be given within several hours of the start of heart attack symptoms. Ide...

Diagnosis of a heart attack is based on  signs and symptoms , medical and family histories, and test results. EKG (Electrocardiogram) An EKG is a simple, painless test that detects and records the heart's electrical activity. The test shows how fast the heart is beating and its rhythm (steady or irregular). An EKG also records the strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through each part of the heart. An EKG can show signs of heart damage due to coronary heart disease (CHD) and signs of a previous or current heart attack. Blood Tests During a heart attack, heart muscle cells die and release proteins into the bloodstream. Blood tests can measure the amount of these proteins in the bloodstream. Higher than normal levels of these proteins suggest a heart attack. Commonly used blood tests include troponin tests, CK or CK–MB tests, and serum myoglobin tests. Blood tests often are repeated to check for changes over time. Coronary Angiography Coronary ...

 These facts are important for you to know, because heart attack symptoms vary from person to person: Heart attacks can start slowly and cause only mild pain or discomfort. Symptoms can be mild or more intense and sudden. Symptoms also may come and go over several hours. People who have high blood sugar (diabetes) may have no symptoms or very mild ones. The most common symptom, in both men and women, is chest pain or discomfort. Women are somewhat more likely to have shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, unusual tiredness (sometimes for days), and pain in the back, shoulders, and jaw. Some people don't have symptoms at all. Heart attacks that occur without any symptoms or with very mild symptoms are called silent heart attacks. Most Common Symptoms The most common warning symptoms of a heart attack for both men and women are: Chest pain or discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest. The discomfort usually...

Coronary Heart Disease A heart attack happens if the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked and the heart can't get oxygen. Most heart attacks occur as a result of coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside of the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart. When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis . The buildup of plaque occurs over many years. Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture (break open) inside of an artery. This causes a blood clot to form on the plaque's surface. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery. If the blockage isn't treated quickly, the portion of heart muscle fed by the artery begins to die. Healthy heart tissue is replaced with scar tissue. This heart damage may not be obvious, or it may cause sev...

 When the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked and the heart can't get oxygen, then a heart attack happens. If blood flow isn't restored quickly, the section of heart muscle begins to die. Heart attacks most often occur as a result of coronary heart disease (CHD), also called coronary artery disease. CHD is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque (plak) builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart. When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis (ath-er-o-skler-O-sis) . The buildup of plaque occurs over many years. Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture (break open) inside of an artery. This causes a blood clot to form on the plaque's surface. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery. If the blockage isn't treated quickly, the portion of heart muscle ...

Drinking just three sugar-sweetened beverages a week could make your breasts more dense, increasing your risk for breast cancer, according to a study published in the journal BMC Public Health. The research: 776 premenopausal and 779 postmenopausal women were recruited by researchers from Laval University in Quebec, Canada. Each woman's breast density was assessed by examining their mammograms. The women then answered a questionnaire about how often they consume sweet foods (such as chocolates, cakes, and ice cream), sugar-sweetened beverages, and how many spoonfuls of sugar they add to beverages or food. The results? “We found an association between sugar intake and increased breast density among both groups,” says lead study author Caroline Diorio. However, it was as if the women had two biologies: The postmenopausal women who ate more food that also included fat saw an increase in breast density, while the premenopausal women experienced more breast densit...

 Eating dark chocolate increases blood flow to the  to the leg of older people there by making their legs to walk farther according to a new small Italian study. People with peripheral artery disease (PAD) who ate a dark chocolate bar were able to slightly increase the time and distance they walked a couple of hours later, compared to people who ate milk chocolate, researchers found. “Nutrients are key components of health and disease,” said Dr. Lorenzo Loffredo, the study’s lead author from Sapienza University in Rome. He and his colleagues write in the Journal of the American Heart Association that compounds known at polyphenols, which are much more plentiful in dark chocolate than milk chocolate, may have something to do with the improved performance. “In the context of atherosclerosis, following an appropriate diet is crucial for reducing the burden of vascular disease,” Loffredo wrote in an email. This study supports that idea, he said, as eating polyph...

High blood cholesterol is treated with lifestyle changes and medicines. The main goal of treatment is to lower your (bad cholesterol) low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level enough to reduce your risk for coronary heart disease , heart attack , and other related health problems. Your risk for heart disease and heart attack goes up as your LDL cholesterol level rises and your number of heart disease risk factors increases. Some people are at high risk for heart attacks because they already have heart disease. Other people are at high risk for heart disease because they have diabetes or more than one heart disease risk factor. Cigarette smoking High blood pressure (140/90 mmHg or higher), or you’re on medicine to treat high blood pressure Low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL) Family history of early heart disease (heart disease in father or brother before age 55; heart disease in mother or sister before age 65) Age (men 45 years...

Buckwheat is a gluten free seed (not a grain) that has been grown in Europe and Asia for thousands of year. It resembles the wheat plant, hence its name “buckwheat.” However, it contains no gluten (whereas wheat does). It is now cultivated in the US, which has become the fourth largest buckwheat producer in the world. A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1995 found that higher buckwheat intake was associated with lower total cholesterol levels, lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, and a higher ratio of HDL (“good”) to total cholesterol. Other studies have shown lower incidence of diabetes among buckwheat consumers. Buckwheat is richer in protein than rice, millet, corn or barley and contains the 12 major amino acids. It’s also a major source of rutin, a potent antioxidant that supports our cardiovascular functions. And thanks to its high fiber content, the seed is a natural appetite-curbing food. Plus, this plant is environment friend...

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of High Blood Cholesterol? High blood cholesterol usually has no signs or symptoms. Thus, many people don't know that their cholesterol levels are too high. If you're 20 years old or older, have your cholesterol levels checked at least once every 5 years. How Is High Blood Cholesterol Diagnosed? Diagnosis is by checking the cholesterol levels in your blood. A blood test called a lipoprotein panel can measure your cholesterol levels. Before the test, you’ll need to fast (not eat or drink anything but water) for 9 to 12 hours. The lipoprotein panel will give your doctor information about your: Total cholesterol. Total cholesterol is a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. LDL cholesterol. LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol is the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockages in the arteries. HDL cholesterol. HDL, o...